Let another title for Sachin Tendulkar as he wins his second Legends cricket League title
India Legends Victorious
India Legends defeated Sri Lanka Legends by 33 runs to win the Road Safety World Series championship on Saturday, with the assistance of Naman Ojha’s unbeaten 108 and an outstanding bowling effort. As India Legends eliminated Sri Lanka Legends at 162 runs. While Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun stood out among the bowlers.
Batting First
After deciding to bat first, the India Legends team suffered an early setback when skipper Sachin Tendulkar was bowled in Raipur for a first-ball duck. As the defending champs appeared to be in serious trouble, Suresh Raina just lasted a few deliveries. While continuing from his heroics in the semi-final, Naman Ojha appeared to be in good shape.
Ojha reached his second consecutive half-century as the pair quickly piled up 90 for the third wicket. Vinay was eventually bowled out for 36 runs off just 21 balls, sending Yuvraj Singh to the crease. The left-hander scored 19 runs but passed away after displaying flashes of his previous self with some lovely strokes.
Hiccup
As wickets fell on the other end, Ojha rose in stature, hitting boundaries at will. With a spectacular six over deep midwicket, he eventually reached the three-figure mark and made sure India had a decent total. India reached 195 as Stuart Binny struck two boundaries off the final two deliveries, effectively putting them in the lead.
Second Innings
Sri Lanka Legends never got going in response, with Sanath Jayasuriya and Dilshan Munaweera leaving within the powerplay. Despite the efforts of Tilakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga to force a rebuild, SL quickly dropped to 41/4 due to the pressure of the scoring rate.
Before both players were quickly out of the game, Jeevan Mendis and Asela Gunaratne put on a solid 37-run partnership. At a point when the Lankans appeared to be out of the game, Ishan Jayaratne and Mahela Udawatte kept them in the game with a brilliant counterattack.
For the seventh wicket, the pair put up 63 runs, giving Sri Lanka a narrow chance to win the match. Despite getting to fifty in just 21 balls, Sri Lanka’s hopes were dashed when Jayaratne was dismissed in the last over. With a three-wicket haul, Vinay Kumar led the Indian bowlers, and Abhimanyu Mithun contributed with a spell of 2 for 27.
Masterplan
India moved Vinay Kumar up to No. 4 to act as a pinch hitter. And the decision worked off as the former pacer forged an important combination with Ojha. While the wicketkeeper continued to strike randomly with the occasional boundary. Kumar played with complete freedom, providing the Indian innings with a much-needed boost.
Record
One more trophy in the bags of Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina, Naman Ojha, Stuart Binny, and Vinay Kumar.
